Being the last man left on his team, Nathaniel called Singles in order to fight his remaining opponents one-on-one. Kyle stepped up to take on Nathaniel, who had shorter reach and less experience. However, despite his apparent disadvantages, Nathaniel fought intelligently and didn't let Kyle set the pace of the fight. Eventually, he was able to whittle Kyle down until he was left without arms. It was an impressive bit of swordplay from a student who is still relatively inexperienced.

Olivia, Rebecca, & Kyle Form a Hammer

When Jeremy spent a round as captain, he split his team into two groups: an aggressive flanking squad (Kyle, Rebecca, and Olivia) and the rest of his line--made up of fighters of all sizes and skill levels. On Jeremy's command, the line pushed forward slowly on the other team while the flanking squad ran wide around them. Jeremy's line kept the other team from running away, but it was the flanking squad who broke their line and handily killed multiple opponents each. It was a decisive victory made possible by a simple, clean, and effective plan.

Cora Holds Off Jed the Giant

In one of the most impressive match-ups of the day, Jed (a large, highly-skilled fighter) squared up against Cora (who is herself a highly-skilled fighter, albeit less experienced). With both lines unable to get past (or around) each other, the round became a game of "who breaks first." Whichever line could overcome the other would win the game. With that in mind, Jed aggressively attempted to overpower Cora, the end fighter of the opposing team. However, her ability to hold off Jed for an extended period of time bought her team the time they needed; eventually, Jeremy on the other end managed to break through, making quick work of Jed's team shortly afterward.

This week's stories seem to have a theme: a sword is only as good as the brain that's using it. Enjoy today's Battle Dispatch!

Cora Backstabs the Line

During a swords-only battle early in the day, Cora Z. managed to eliminate multiple enemies within seconds thanks to quick thinking (and swordsmanship) on her part.

To set the stage, David captained a force of skilled (but not fast) fighters against a highly mobile team captained by Drew. David's team decided to put their strongest fighters on each end of the line--the left side (made of Justin and Cora) would strike hard and fast, while the right side (Tina and Peri) would prevent Drew's fastest runners from flanking.

The middle group (with David, Rebecca, Ethan, Aaron, and a few other less-experienced fighters) formed a single line between both ends--forming a diagonal, if things went to plan.

The fight began quickly! Justin and Cora immediately put pressure on Drew's team, drawing Jeremy and Micah into the fight. The middle group pressed forward slowly.

While Jeremy occupied Justin, Cora's brother Micah (one of the fastest and most aggressive fighters on Drew's team) squared up to face her. Knowing that her brother was prone to jumping from fight to fight, Cora pressed forward on him--forcing him to take larger and larger steps back until he ran away to another skirmish, playing into her hands.

What Cora had done was expose Drew's team's entire back--and because they were arranged diagonally to meet David's team, she easily ran down the line and killed 3-4 fighters before they noticed she was behind them. With such a massive tactical victory, her team went on to win shortly afterward.

Micah, Aaron, & Caleb Strike Like Lightning

In another fight, Micah and newcomers Caleb and Aaron demonstrated the power of hitting hard and hitting fast. Alyssia and Jeremiah each captained a team of experienced fighters--however, what Alyssia's team also had were eager newcomers who weren't afraid to run into a fight. What they lacked in experience, they made up for with speed and enthusiasm.

Jeremiah opted for a defensive formation--keep the other team from flanking, and push ahead slowly and deliberately. However, Alyssia opted for almost the exact opposite plan: she would field their fastest fighters on either side of the line to flank as aggressively as possible. In the end, this was the strategy that won the day.

While Jeremiah's team walked up confidently and slowly (at first), Micah, Aaron, and Caleb (and a fourth fighter who was too fast to be recorded) split up and attacked each end of Jeremiah's line. The team was immediately on the defensive, and the aggressive tactics broke through each end--forcing the line to bend into a U-shape and turn away from the rest of Alyssia's team.

The result was chaos.

Alyssia's team made short work of Jeremiah's team, who weren't able to regain their composure or reform the line. It was a well-deserved victory for Alyssia's team, who recognized that sometimes being fast can make up for having little experience.

Ethan Waits Out His Opponents

In a game of King of the Hill, Jeremy divided fighters into a random arrangement of teams using a deck of cards. As a result, one of the teams was severely outnumbered (and out-skilled) by the rest. The team of four (which included a strong newcomer named Ethan) did their best to avoid confrontation with larger, more skilled teams--but eventually, the entire team was killed except for Ethan. He learned from his team's mistakes and hung back during the whole game. Whether it was lack of attention or underestimation, no one on the field noticed that Ethan was inching closer and closer to the King Tree as they drifted further and further away.

When the rest of the fighters were locked in battle nearly 50 yards away, Ethan made his move--and won the game with seconds to spare. By being patient and playing smart, he used his one advantage (being on his own) to defeat the other, better-equipped teams.

If you are interested in getting a shinai (bamboo sword,) a bag, or any thing else from www.e-bogu.com an order will be placed on November 22, 2017. A group order ensure that the threshold for free shipping will be reached and the 20% off coupon code will be used for maximum savings. Contact Jeremy Meagher if you are interested in anything.